Rachel's Redemption
by Kassaremidybelljesslynn
Summary: The writers make Rachel out to be a real b*tch and people hate her, but I believe that under all that attitude she's insecure. She's simply waiting for someone to see past the front. This is how a girl does and makes the rest of the glee club see as well.
1. Prologue: Kurt's Replacement

Rachel's Redemption  
Prologue: Kurt's Replacement

Summary: The writers make Rachel out to be a real b*tch and people hate her, but I believe that under all that attitude, she's extremely insecure. She's simply waiting for someone to see past the front. This is how one girl does and makes the rest of the glee club see as well. Rachel/OC, Finchel, Mike/OC, Tartie, and minor Quick.

Note: This is canon-compliant up until Sectionals. It will stay in character, and I may steal some storylines from the show, but probably not. After that, it's my own little version of gLee and what I wish would happen. I know Rachel has very little fans, and I wish the writers would make her better and redeem the poor girl before she loses all of her fans. Also, I want Tina with Artie, Rachel with Finn, and Quinn with Puck. I'm sticking to the whole storyline that Puck will be wandering around like a lost soul, depressed about Quinn, but there will be some Quick action...and no, Rachel is not a lesbian in this story. The Rachel/OC is friendship.

* * *

Puck was horrified, to say the very least. He was used to being the aggressor, the asshole, the bully, whatever the hell you wanted to call it. He was **not** the victim. Yet here he was, trapped in a Port-O-Potty with no likely way out. He sent up silent prayers.

_God please, get me out of here. I'll play with Stacey more, I'll be nicer to people, I'll stop sleeping around – mostly – and I'll apologize to Finn for having sex with Quinn, and I'll tell him I've been checking out his newest girlfriend, apologize for that, and promise never to touch those sexy legs of Rachel's, or run my hands up her_

_-focus Puckerman. Anyway, Lord Almighty, I'll right all my wrongs with Finn and I'll even apologize to Lady Lips for decking him when I found out about him and Quinn and I might even mean it! I'll definitively apologize to Artie for locking him in here so many times. Man, that boy is tougher than I thought he was if he managed to take this one once a month…_

_Please Lord, get me out of here. I'm begging you man, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it, but I can't stand the stench and the stuff dripping from the walls and-_

"Is someone in there?" a voice monotoned in the direction of the Port-O-Potty.

"Hello?" Puck said weakly, his spirits rising rapidly. _Please let it be a cheerleader, please let it be a cheerleader…_

The door to the Port-O-Potty was wrenched open and in popped the head of a girl that…wasn't a cheerleader. She looked like an anti-cheerleader.

Her skin was darker, but not due to constant tanning. Instead, it was a natural tanned color with huge, chocolate eyes framed by delicate eyebrows and a mess of hair that had the potential to be beautiful had she ran a brush through it. Puck grimaced at all the eyeliner surrounding her eyes, giving her a raccoon like look, and the black eyeshadow surrounding her eyelids. She wore a spiked dog-collar, with piercings on her eyebrows, nose, lip, at least six on each ear, and one on her tongue. An emo girl all the way.

Puck wasn't going to lie – many of his fantasies had included Tina in full gothic attire. There was something about it that seriously turned him on – although lately, many of his fantasies centered on a certain blonde-haired, blue eyed, angelic like cheerleader, but he'd never admit that to anyone – but Tina wore her gothic look with a hint of sexual appeal. This girl just looked depressed and Puck was intimidated by her.

At that point however, it wouldn't matter if she was the ugliest woman in the world, she had saved Puck and if she wanted to do it right now, no matter how scary she looked, he would do it if she got him out of there.

"Are you an angel?" he asked hopefully. The girl rolled her eyes but held out her hand.

"Where do you want to go?" she deadpanned.

"Is Glee Club still in session?" he asked. She nodded. "Take me there." Silently, the girl led him to the choir room, letting him lean on her slightly. "What's your name?" Puck asked.

"Elaina Barak," the girl answered.

"Elaina…I think I love you," he mumbled. Again the girl rolled her eyes. "Anything you want, I'll give it to you."

"If I asked you to have sex with me?" she tested, her eyebrows rising.

"I'd love to," he said with his best smile. Elaina glared at him.

"You're not my type," she said with a sneer, and continued leading the ego-wounded football player to the choir room.

_But…I'm everyone's type…_Puck thought sadly.

"Puck?" Quinn asked as the pair walked into the room. "What happened to you?" she asked, her voice rising as she took in his disheveled appearance.

"The football team locked me in a Port-O-Potty and toppled it over…it was horrible," Puck shuddered. "Elaina found me," he told everyone. "Rachel, I think…I think she's the Messiah. I think us and our fellow Jews have been delivered from God," Puck said earnestly. Elaina planted Puck on a chair.

"I'm Irish Catholic idiot," Elaina said monotonously, looking down her nose at the Jewish boy. His face fell.

"Oh." His bottom lip jutted out in a pout that Quinn briefly smiled at before hiding it so Sam wouldn't notice. Elaina noticed it however, and tucked the tidbit away for future blackmail…er…use.

"Thank you so much Elaina," Mr. Shue said. "We were starting to get really worried. How can we repay you?"

"Don't mention it," Elaina said, her tone obviously saying that she really didn't want to be there.

"Elaina?" Puck asked.

"What do you want Puckerman?" she asked.

"Well…we're down a person for Sectionals and we'll have to forfeit if we don't get our last person…could you perform with us?" he asked, his voice hopeful. Elaina opened her mouth to say no, and remembered that if she didn't say yes, she would be stuck alone in the house with her grandmother. Not the senile and amusing one, but the evil one who was always telling her to clean the crap off of her face, and hinting that she had no friends.

"Why not? I have nothing better to do," she said, no emotion in her voice. The club let out a sigh of relief at her answer.

"You'll have to wear the old member's outfit because we don't have time to order a new one for you, but you seem his size…" Mr. Shue said, giving the girl a quick once-over.

Elaina nodded and looked around the room. She knew most of the kids, but not by name. There was the diva, one of three black students in the school and one of about fifteen colored people total, who had the name of a car…Toyota…Benz…Porsche…something like that. There was the bitch cheerleader with the fake boobs, the stupid blonde cheerleader that was in her Geometry class, the wheelchair kid that she rescued from the Port-O's on a regular basis up until the ending of last year, Artie, his name was, the freakishly tall football player Finn and his mini-me Sam, the pregnant cheerleader Quinn, Puck, the girl Puck had referred to as Rachel, the gothic Asian girl and…only because Elaina had years of practice at hiding her emotions did she hide her blush as her eyes landed on Mike Chang, football player and dancing extraordinaire, as well as the boy she had been harboring a secret crush on since elementary school.

All in all, the group was probably the most random group of people in the world and Elaina wondered how they all managed to get along without killing each other.

She groaned inwardly. She had a feeling that hanging with her evil grandmother would be better than going with this group to the disastrous event that could only come of their Sectionals.

* * *

And we're off. I have no idea how long this is going to be. I'll update every Friday/Saturday for chiz, and maybe more during the week and weekends depending on the homework load.


	2. Chapter 1: Berry the Btch

Rachel's Redemption  
Chapter 1: Berry the B*tch

Summary: The writers make Rachel out to be a real b*tch and people hate her, but I believe that under all that attitude, she's extremely insecure. She's simply waiting for someone to see past the front. This is how one girl does and makes the rest of the glee club see as well. Rachel/OC, Finchel, Mike/OC, Tartie, and minor Quick.

* * *

Elaina was bored out of her skull. She had Geometry right now and really didn't feel like going, so she decided to ditch before realizing she had nothing to do except wander the halls with her fake hall pass. She remembered she had Glee practice later and actually wasn't dreading it. Singing while decorating the Christmas tree was actually pretty amusing. Of course, she didn't let anyone hear her sing, but that was beside the point.

She was walking past the auditorium when she heard singing come from it. It didn't sound familiar so she peeked in to find the Rachel girl onstage, singing a Christmas song.

"Logs on the fire fill me with desire to see you and to say that I wish you Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too," Rachel crooned sadly. Elaina carefully and silently placed herself in a seat in the back row of the auditorium and listened as Rachel sang the wishful song. Elaina had to admit – the girl was talented, although from what she had heard from the other people in the group, she was full of herself.

As the song finished, Rachel sat down on the edge of the stage, tears streaming down her face and falling into her lap. As Elaina watched on, she couldn't see what all the other glee kids saw. She didn't see someone who was full of herself – she saw someone who was just as screwed up as she was, and probably just as screwed up as the rest of the glee kids were. Where was the bitch that everyone described in vivid detail to her?

The bell rang and just as quietly as she had snuck in, Elaina snuck out to lunch, her most hated part of the day. In the classroom, people had to interact with her and had to be nice to her, whether they wanted to or not. In the lunch room, everyone ignored her like she had six heads with purple goo coming out of her ears. It wasn't like she tried to push everyone away, like that creepy kid Jacob Ben Israel. People were just generally put off by her, with the exception of Artie Abrams, but she figured he just felt obligated to hang out with her because she had saved him from the Port-O-Potty so many times.

Elaina got in line and crinkled her nose at the unidentifiable glop that had just been thrown on her plate.

"Hello!" a chipper voice said in her ear. Elaina jumped and found herself face to face with Rachel herself. Elaina gave a noncommittal grunt. "So you are our newest member of the Glee Club?" Rachel asked in a light tone. Elaina nodded. "I'm Rachel Berry!" The girl held out her hand. Elaina stared at it and after a few awkward seconds, Rachel took it back. "Well, seeming as last year I was voted captain even though no one listens to me anymore," Rachel's face took on a sour look as she talked and Elaina gave her a sideways glance. Rachel took a breath and her face became happy once more as she continued. "Well, I've taken it upon myself to tell you all about our club and –"

"Why were you crying?" Elaina interrupted, her voice betraying none of her curiosity, even though it was killing her to find out.

"I…you saw that?" Rachel asked, her voice squeaking. "I thought I heard someone come in but I wasn't sure."

"Be happy it was me and not one of those bitchy cheerleaders. They hate you and would have told everyone," Elaina informed the shorter girl.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Rachel asked. Elaina was impressed that the girl managed to keep all of her fear out of her voice and eyes, even though Elaina knew she was freaking out on the inside.

"No. I don't gossip," Elaina said, disdain apparent in her voice as she moved down the line, reaching for a Mountain Dew.

"Elaina, you are aware that Mountain Dew is the unhealthiest soda out there, and is rumored to lower fertility rate?" Rachel asked. Elaina rolled her eyes and put two cans on her plate. "Okay then." Rachel reached for a carton of skim milk and put it on her plate as they walked down the line. Elaina trudged to the AP Kelli and handed her a slip. AP Kelli nodded and waved Elaina out of the lunchroom.

"Ms. Berry, what are you doing?" AP Kelli asked.

"I'm with Elaina," Rachel answered with a winning smile and a trusting gleam in her eye that Elaina had to admire.

_Dang. That girl can manipulate people easier than I can,_ Elaina thought as Kelli waved Rachel through. Rachel followed Elaina all the way to the Art Room.

"Hey Elaina."

"Hey Mr. Duplex," Elaina called, setting her lunch down and sitting on a table. Rachel placed her lunch on a table, pulled up a chair, wiped the chair off, and then carefully sat in the chair. Elaina shook her head but said nothing.

"So do you eat here every day?" Rachel asked, picking up her fork.

"Except days where Mr. D. has meetings," Elaina answered. "Why are you following me?"

"Well…" Rachel fidgeted nervously, looking worried, ashamed, and sad. The phrase "Takes one to know one," popped up in Elaina's mind and she definitely knew what was about to come out of Rachel's mouth. Nevertheless, she cringed as Rachel admitted, "I have no friends. Usually, I sat with my boyfriend, but I messed things up and he…he won't take me back so now…I have nowhere else to sit and I figured…I figured…"

"It's fine," Elaina said quickly, her sympathy immediately rising. Why did the Glee Club hate her so much? She didn't seem mean – she was so miserable it was almost pathetic. Couldn't anyone tell?

"Now that that's out of the way," Rachel said brightly, snapping back into her show face, "I really hope we can be good friends. I have a great feeling about you."

"I'm sure you do," Elaina said sarcastically. She gestured to the Star of David around Rachel's neck. "You Jewish?"

"Yes I am," Rachel said proudly, straightening up. "You're Irish Catholic right?"

"Kind of. I'm Jewish and Irish Catholic, although I'm not too strict for either. My dad served in the Israeli army because he was Jewish and he's super Jewish, but he wants me to decide what I want to be. He actually hated anything that had to do with Judaism until he was about 25 because his parents crammed it down his throat. My mom is Irish Catholic," Elaina explained.

"That's very sweet of your parents. Is it hard for them, being different religions?"

"Not really. We celebrate Chrismakah and my dad goes out with his other Jewish friends on Easter so he's not for Easter. Other than that, it's pretty okay and they don't care if I turn out to be a Buddhist just as long as I'm happy," Elaina said. The two girls ate in companionable silence, both checking the other out and pretending not to notice the other watching.

"There you are!" a man's voice shouted. A tall, tan boy with a Mohawk and a school sports jacket burst through the door.

"Noah," Rachel said curtly.

"Rachel," Puck nodded. He set his sights on Elaina and his eyes brightened.

_Oh shit,_ Elaina thought. _Hero worship_.

"Hello Elaina," Puck said, his face breaking out in a smile. He sat down on the table next to Elaina. Rachel raised an eyebrow at Elaina. Moving her head so he wouldn't see, Elaina rolled her eyes and saw Rachel smile.

"Hello Puck," she said monotonously.

"I was wondering if you were-"

"Puckerman, I don't date whores and I 'put out' for anyone, okay?" Elaina shot at him. She saw Puck's face fall for a second before he straightened up.

"I'm okay with heavy make-out sessions," Puck told her. "I don't _need_ sex. I prefer it, but I can deal with less," he insisted. "And I'm not that much of a whore!"

"You talked the most innocent girl in the school into giving it up to you while she had a boyfriend and was captain of the Celibacy Club. You're a whore," Elaina deadpanned, looking back at her Mountain Dew and taking a sip.

"I can put aside my whore-like ways if it meant I could make out with my sexy savior."

"Do those cheesy pick-up lines work on all the girls?" Elaina asked.

"No they do not," Rachel said matter-of-factly. "When those don't work, he either sings to the girl to win her affections or insults her."

"I'm guessing he sang to you?" Elaina asked emotionlessly.

"Yes. And Mercedes and Quinn as well."

"Who does he insult?"

"Santana and Brittany."

"Also makes sense." Elaina turned to Puck who had a sour look on his face.

"Thanks Berry," he said. Rachel flashed her 100 watt smile at him and continued eating.

"Alright, I'll go out on one date with you and we'll see how it goes."

"Thank-"

"This has got nothing to do with any fondness for you and only because I have nothing better to do," Elaina cut him off. Puck nodded his head but still looked hopeful.

"Since all three of you are going to be in here a lot, you'll have to work, just like Elaina has," Mr. Duplex said.

"I'm happy to do anything that will serve any member of the Fine Arts," Rachel said, jumping to attention.

"I'm down with helping."

"You really are sticking to that whole being nicer to people thing aren't you?" Rachel asked.

"I want to be a better Jew," Puck said thoughtfully.

"You know being a better Jew includes not sleeping around right?" Rachel asked.

"Yes Berry I am aware of this. That's why I just asked out Elaina. I have a feeling that if I tried to cheat she'd try to kick my ass…and probably be able to do it."

"You bet your good Jewish ass I could do it."

Puck shuddered and looked slightly afraid, Rachel and Mr. Duplex laughed, and Elaina allowed herself to crack a small smile.

* * *

And...we're off! I think this could be the start of not only a beautiful friendship *hint hint* but also an interesting relationship *nudge nudge* that may involve both parties using each other to get over/make another person jealous *poke poke*

Okay so...

I love favorites and story alerts and to find my inbox cluttered with them makes my day...but I'd like reviews. You know, telling me what you like, what you don't like, do you like Elaina, and even if you want me to not have someone or have more of someone etc... certain couples, whatever, but feedback to tell me what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong so I can fix this in future chapters.  
Please and Thank you.


	3. Chaper 2: Messed Up Musical Freaks

Rachel's Redemption  
Chapter 2: Messed Up Musical Freaks

Summary: The writers make Rachel out to be a real b*tch and people hate her, but I believe that under all that attitude, she's extremely insecure. She's simply waiting for someone to see past the front. This is how one girl does and makes the rest of the glee club see as well. Rachel/OC, Finchel, Mike/OC, Tartie, and minor Quick.

obsessivepottercullendisorder - I may just feature Matt. I was thinking on it...

Tayler - Check back on that quick couple in about chapter five *hint hint*

TawnyC - I will seriously think on it. That girl needs a good ass kicking.

If you think that the T rating is too low due to the swearing and should be M, just let me know. Whether you think it is fortunate or unfortunate, there will be no graphic sex scenes, just hinted at sexual encounters, major snogging, innuendo, and swearing. Is that enough for M? I'm not sure...

* * *

"Elaina please? I am begging you!" Artie pleaded.

"I'm not sitting in Santa's lap so you can get some from your girlfriend," Elaina said woodenly.

"This has got nothing to do with sex," Artie groaned. "Think about your first Christmas Elaina! Think about the wonder of Christmas when you were a child! Why would you want to take that away from someone?"

"I'd do it if it was for a child, but not for a sixteen year old girl."

"If you do this for me I will buy you that new Super Mario Brothers Game for the Nintendo DS," Artie bargained. Elaina turned slowly toward the boy.

"You promise?" she asked, for once showing her emotion, the want obvious in her voice.

"I promise," Artie said, nodding his head. He held out his hand. Elaina looked at it for a second and then shook. Everyone got in line. Elaina leaned closely to Santa, trying to hear what everyone was saying. Normally, she wouldn't care, but these kids had all been together for a year and she wanted to get into the swing of things.

"I want to get a solo since they obviously haven't appreciate me…and I want Finn back…why am I asking you? I'm Jewish…"

"I want a football scholarship and I really want people to stop giving Kurt a hard time, I mean, I really miss the guy, even though when I woke up every morning he always tried to force some type of acne cream on me saying that if I only used a little bit it would really help or whatever…"

"Bling. I want Bling. There's really no other way to describe it."

"I want a pony and dolly that will laugh and cry and…what the hell am I saying?"

"I want dancing shoes and I'd really appreciate if you got Puck to stop talking about how Super Mario Brothers saved the world. Get him a girlfriend or something, but get him to stop talking about it to me, I'm begging you. I'm not being mean or anything, but when you're showering and you've got him going on and on about how epic Luigi is, it really gets under your skin and all you want to do to him is freakin…that's all."

"When is the Asian Santa getting here? Why can there be a black Santa and a nerdy, skinny Santa, and a Spanish Santa, but not an Asian one? That's a little racist don't you think?"

"I don't know, I really don't need anything. I mean, me and Finn are sharing quarterback duties and me and Quinn are officially together, so I'm all good. Except…well…maybe, could you do something to cheer up Quinn? I feel horrible when her baby hormones set in because I can't do anything. I mean, one minute we're making out and the next she's just crying and mumbling and talking about Beth and I can't do shit to help her and I feel like a horrible boyfriend. Is there anything you can…I can't believe I'm asking a fake Santa to help heal my girlfriend's post-partum depression…I really need to get out of the house…"

"How about you break up Lady Lips and Quinn, and then have her sneak over to my house and confess her undying love for me? That'd be cool. I don't even need the sex, although it'd be nice, just some making out, you know, like third base would be fine, just so long as she's mine and not Big Mouth's okay? And don't tell Santana I said that because she'll kill Quinn if she finds out."

"Make my baby hormones go away. It makes making out so awkward. And get my lingering feelings toward Puck to do away. That would be amazing and I'd love you forever."

_Wow_, Elaina thought happily, _these people are more messed up than I am. Even Quinn has got some issues._ Thoroughly cheered up, Elaina walked over to Santa and sat in his lap. She looked up and saw Brittany lean toward the "elf" and whisper, "Elves are people too. Santa needs you and don't you ever forget it."Elaina looked at Santa with no emotion in her face.

"What do you want for Christmas?" he asked with a jolly laugh.

"World peace," she told him, poker-faced.

"Umm…are you serious?" Elaina stared at the Santa with a dead expression on her face, which she knew unnerved most people – except Puckerman for some reason – and sure enough, Santa started fidgeting underneath her.

"That better be a Yule log that you stowed in your pocket and not what I think it is," Elaina said lifelessly, not bothered in the slightest. She got up and hid the smile that lit up her face at the shocked expression on Santa's face.

She went to stand next to Rachel and Puck – who just so happened to be standing next to Mike Chang.

"Hey Elaina," Mike said happily.

"Hi."

"Thanks for doing this. I know you're new and you probably don't care about Brittany, so we all really appreciate you playing along with it," he told her.

"It's no problem," Elaina assured him.

"Are you going out with Puck?" he asked.

"Kind of."

Mike looked thoughtful. "Maybe Santa is real…" he mumbled and Elaina laughed inwardly, remembering his request of Santa just as Puck casually threw his arm around her shoulders. Elaina checked the want to push it off immediately, figuring that Puck needed someone to help him get over Quinn.

"Oh no…" she heard Artie mumble.

"What's wrong Artie?" Mike asked, his brow wrinkling with concern.

"She asked him to help me walk," the wheel-chair bound boy said horrifically. "We are so screwed."

* * *

"Alright, since when we get back all we have is semi-finals, I'm going to give you your new lab partners now. Get acquainted because you'll be spending a lot of time together for the rest of the year," Mrs. Hardwicke said. She called out name after name, and by the time she got to the end, Elaina wanted to slap her. The people left over were Dave Karofsky, Azimio, Heather Pritchit, and Jorge Mendez, all of whom Elaina despised. Just as Mrs. Hardwicke was about to read the name of the next pair, Mike Chang ran into the room.

"Mr. Chang, you are aware that skipping is not tolerated in this school, correct?" the teacher said sternly.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Hardwicke, but I've been handing out the Candy Grams. Um…and now I have to steal Elaina away from you because we have to practice for the concert later today. I am so sorry that it is intruding upon your class time, which I enjoy immensely by the way, but-"

"No need to suck up Mr. Chang. Take Ms. Barak," Mrs. Hardwicke snapped, but she was smiling as she did it. Mike bowed and held his hand out. Years of practice allowed Elaina to hide her blush as he did so, gathering up her books.

"Oh, and you two will be lab partners for the rest of the year," Mrs. Hardwicke called out to them.

_Wonderful_.

Mike grabbed her hand – butterflies assaulting her stomach the entire time – and lead her to the teacher's café, where the rest of the club was assembled. She went to stand next to Rachel who informed her that they would be performing for the teachers as Puck came over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Puck?"

"Yeah babe?"

"Arm over the shoulder is fine but if you wrap your arms around my waist or call me babe one more time, I'm going to hurt you," she said, her face unreadable even with the threat. Puck immediately backed up and put his arm around her shoulder, throwing Quinn a smirk that Elaina couldn't help but notice and roll her eyes at.

Mr. Shue put everyone in lines as the teachers starting filing in and the club opened their mouths to sing the beautiful harmonies. Their voices filled the room and Elaina looked at the members' faces. Quinn kept stealing glances at Puck when she thought no one was looking, Sam fidgeted constantly, and Rachel and Finn kept giving each other longing looks.

_Jeez guys. It's obvious who wants who, just bang already,_ Elaina thought.

After the performance they all went into the choir room, triumph etched on everyone's faces. Tina had walked in first and she froze.

"Artie," she breathed out and Elaina noted the longing and happiness and want and love that filled the gothic girl's voice in that single word. She wondered if Mike heard the tone as well and as she noticed the fleeting annoying emotion cross his face before his eyes landed on Artie, she figured he did.

Elaina, however, could hardly blame Tina for her slip up. Artie was walking. Elaina did not know the boy all that well but even she couldn't keep the small smile from coming up as she saw the joyous Artie walking.

Elaina looked around, wondering who had left the fake legs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Coach Beiste, a watery smile on her face and Elaina let her smile widen at the Good Samaritan.

She pondered telling everyone but decided against it. From all she had heard the last few days, the glee club hadn't acted like a family all year, instead keeping petty grudges and telling threats and being incredibly rude. Here, they seemed like a family that Rachel and Puck had spoken so fondly about and she wouldn't want to ruin that.

After all, everyone deserved a miracle every once in a while.

* * *

I had to write about the nicer side of Elaina for a bit.


End file.
